Carpet-stretcher



Patented Oct. 5,1897.

0. T. BUCHER. CARPET STRETGHER.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR M ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASPER T. BUOHER, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,030, dated October 5, 1897. I Application filed February 8,1897. Serial No. 622,450. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CASPER T. BUoHER; a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tiffin, county of Seneca, State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oarpet-Stretchers, of which the following description, taken in connection with the drawings herewith accompanying, is a specification.

. The object of this invention is to provide a carpet-stretcher of simple construction that may be placed in position at one side or end of a room and be operated to stretch and draw the carpet at such point from the opposite side or end of the room, whereby the weight of the operator will be removed from the carpet at a point adjacent to where it is being stretched, and which carpet-stretcher will also act automatically to hold and retain the carpet afterbeing stretched to the de sired position until it has been tacked or otherwise secured.

My invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth in detail, and pointed out in the claims. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of the floor and the wall base-board of a room, both in sec tion, also showinga side elevation of a carpet-stretcher embodying my invention in operative position and in engagement with a piece of carpet to be stretched. Fig. 2 shows the same parts with the carpet stretcher partly in section and the carpet drawn into position to be tacked or fastened. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an end view of the carpetstretcher, looking toward the right as it appears in the other figures.

To explain in detail, a represents an elongated tubular section or piece forming part of the frame of my improved stretcher and within which, according to my present invention, certain of the operating parts of the device are located and inclosed. This section a, which forms a guide and support for the carpet engaging and stretching bar I), is connected at one end with a short vertical stand ard c, which latter is provided at its lower end, as herein shown, with two sharp-pointed proj cctions or prongs c c, which are adapted to be driven into the floor to hold the stretcher stationary while the stretching-bar b is being operated to draw the carpet into place, as will hereinafter be described. The section a connects at one end with the vertical standard 0, adjacent toits lower end, as shown, and the said parts are connected at or adjacentto their opposite ends by a connecting tie-rod or brace 0 which latter serves to rigidly hold and support the outer ends of said parts a and a relative to each other andrnake, in combination therewith, a light, strong, and rigid frame for my improved device.

The stretcher-bar b is arranged transversely to "the tubular section a and is connected therewith in the present instance illustrated by means of a short tie piece or plate b, which is formed to closely embrace the top and sides of the section a and is secured at its ends to the bar I), so as to support and guide the latter relative to said section a.

The. means for operating the bar I) is as follows The section a is provided with a longitudinal slot or opening a therein, extending throughout the greater portion of its length and in both its upper and lower walls, through which passes a pin or screw 6 which connects with the said bar I) and the connecting-plate b, asclearly shownin Fig. 2. This pin 19 serves, in combination with the plate 11, as an additional means for guiding the stretch ing-bar 19 relative to the section a, and also forms a bearing for a pulley 79 which is loosely supported thereon at a point within the tubular section a, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A second pulley d is also supported within the section a upon a stationary pin or screw 01,

pulley b and then forward and around the stationary pulley d, and from thence out through the rear or opposite end of the section a. In this manner it will be obvious that by pulling upon the operating end of the rope the stretcher-bar b will be drawn toward the forward end of the section a, so as to draw the carpet, when connected therewith, into.

position up to the edge of the base-board of the room.

Within the tubular section a, adjacent to its rear end, is located a wedge-shape plate f and a pivoted eccentric g, between which the operating-rope 6 passes; The eccentric g is so arranged that the action of the rope 6 against the same when being drawn outward in the act of operating the stretcher-barb will move it in a direction to allow for the free passage of the said rope between the same and the wedge f, as will be obvious upon reference to Fig. 3, but when the rope is loosened by the operator, so that the strain upon the same is in the opposite direction, the eccentrio will then be moved automatically by the action of the rope thereon in a direct-ion to firmly clamp and hold the rope between the same and the wedgef and thereby lock the bar 5 with the connected carpet in a station'- ary position until the latter has been tacked or otherwise fastened upon the floor. The adjacent rope-en gaging faces of the eccentric g and wedgefare roughened or serrated so as to more firmly hold the rope 6 when locked between the same, and such roughened surface also tends to cause the eccentric g to move and close more quickly upon the rope 6 after the latter has been loosened by the operator on account of the increased friction thereby produced between the parts.

One end of the eccentric-lever 9 projects outward through an opening a in the wall of the section a, so that the same maybe conveniently operated to release its hold upon the rope e after the carpet has been fastened and it is desired to move the bar I) backward toward the rear end of the section a, and in position for further engagement with the carpet. The eccentric is thus operated by pressing its outer end inward or toward the part a, which movement releases its hold upon the rope and allows the latter to freely pass between the engaging parts 9 andf, which form the locking device.

As one of the features of my present invention I have supported the wedgef so that it may be movable in the part a relative to the eccentric g, whereby the space between the engaging surfaces of the said parts may be regulated independently of the variation allowed by the movement of the eccentric g. This adjustment of the wedgefis important, for the reason that by moving the wedge in a direction to bring its smaller end opposite the eccentric g secures an increased space between the parts, so that the rope may be more easily passed backward between the same when the bar 1) is drawn backward toward the rear end of the section a in preparation of again engaging with the carpet, and such sliding movement of the wedge also causes the same to act more readily, in combination with the eccentric, to bind and clamp the rope when the latter has been released by the operator after having been operated to stretch the carpet. The wedgef is retained in position within the section a by means of a pinf,which extends through an elongated openingf therein, and as a convenient means for moving the wedge I have provided the same with a knob or projectionf ,which projects therefrom through an elongated slot f in one side of the tubular section a, where it may be conveniently reached by the operator.

It will be noticed upon reference to the drawings that the standard 0 is arranged at a slightly obtuse angle to the section a. This is necessary in those rooms where a quarterstrip h is located at the junction of the baseboard and the floor, as shown in the drawings, so that the upper end of the standard 0 may engage with the base-board without raising the end of the section a from its position on or adjacent to the floor. The upper end of the standard a is preferably provided with a rubber ring 1' or other suitable means thereon for engaging with the base-board, so as to prevent the latter being scratched or otherwise marred.

The operation of the device as thus described in brief is as follows: The stretcher bar I) is first drawn back toward the rear of the section a, as in Fig. l, and the device then placed upon the floor with the standard 0 close to the base-board and the projections or prongs thereon pushed or driven into the floor. The pins or claws b on the under side of the bar I) are then inserted into the carpet, after which the operator pulls upon the rope e from some convenient position in the room to draw the bar 1) forward and stretch the carpet into place, as shown in Fig. 2. After the edge of the carpet has been stretched or brought into position up to the base-board the operator releases his hold upon the rope and the latter is immediately locked and held between the wedgefand eccentric g in a manner as hereinbefore described.

The carpet is thus held until it is tacked or otherwise secured, after which the eccentric g and wedgefare moved by their projecting parts so as to release the rope and allow it to be freely passed back between said parts as the bar b is disengaged from the carpet and moved back to a position for further use. The section a and standard a are both preferablyformed of sheet-steel, which is out into suitable blanks and then bent into theagainst the opposite side of the standard, thus forming a cheap, simple, and rigid connection between the parts.

One of the features of my invention consists in supporting all of the operating parts except the bar I) within the tubular section a of the frame, so that the appearance of the device, as shown in Fig. 1, is not only greatly improved, but the said parts being so inclosed are protected from injury or displacement in the handling of the devices.

Having thus set forth my invention, it will be obvious that thearrangement and conwith the operating-rope to hold the same after the stretcher-bar has been operated to stretch the carpet, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a carpet-stretcher,

' of a frame having a hollow tubular section, a

stretcher-bar connected with the latter to be guided thereby and having a connecting pin or stud passing through a longitudinal slot in said section, an operating-rope having connection with said stretcher-bar through the medium of said connecting pin or stud and passing around pulleys supported within the said tubular section, and a locking device for automatically engaging with said rope afterbeing released by the operator, supported within the said tubular section and having an operatingpart projecting through an opening in the latter, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a carpet-stretcher, of a frame having a hollow tubular section, a stretcher-bar connected with the latter to be guided thereby and having a connecting pin or stud extending through a longitudinal slot in said section, a pulleysupported upon said stretcher-bar pin or stud within said tubular section, a second pulley supported 7 upon a stationary pin within the latter, an operating-rope having one end secured to a stationary support within said section and passing around the said pulleys therein, and a looking device also supported within said tubular section for automatically engaging with the rope after being released by the operator,

substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, in a carpet-stretcher,

of a frame, a stretcher-bar connected with the latter to be guided thereby, an operatingrope connecting with said stretcher-bar, and a locking device for engaging with said rope after being released by the operator, consisting of an eccentric-lever and a sliding or movable wedge between which the ropev passes, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, in a carpet-stretcher, of aframe having a hollow tubular section, a stretcher-bar connected with the latter to be guided thereby, an operating-rope passing around pulleys supported within said section and having connection with the stretcher-bar,

a locking device supported'within said tubular section for engaging with the operatingrope, consisting of a sliding wedge and a pivoted eccentric between which the rope is passed, and means whereby the parts of said locking device may be operated to release the rope from the exterior of the said tubular section, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, in a carpet-stretcher, of a frame, consisting of a horizontally-arranged tubular section, a-vertical standard connecting with one end of the latter and provided with a pointed end or projection adapted to be driven into the floor, and an angular brace connecting with and supporting said horizontal and vertical parts of the frame, a stretcher-bar connected with said horizontal section of the frame to be guided thereby, an operating-rope connecting with said stretcher-bar at a point within said tubular section and passing around pulleys supported within the latter, and a lockin g device supported within said tubular section for engaging with the operating-rope in a manner, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, in a carpet-stretcher, of a frame, consisting of a horizontally-arranged section having connection at one end with a standard arranged at a slightly-obtuse angle thereto, and an angular brace connecting with and supporting said horizontaland vertical parts, a stretcher-bar connected with said horizontal section to be guided thereby, an operating-rope connecting with said stretcher-bar at a point Within said tubular section and passing around pulleys supported within the latter, and a locking device supported within said tubular section for engag- ITO ing with the operating-rope, and having means extending through an opening in said section whereby it may be operated from the exterior of the latter, substantially as described and for the purposeset forth.

CASPER T. BUOHER. 

